ANT. You gentle Romans, CIT. Peace, ho! let us hear him. ANT. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Cæfar, not to praise him. The evil, that men do, lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones; Hath told you, Cæfar was ambitious: If it were fo, it was a grievous fault; And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome, When that the poor have cried, Cæfar hath Ambition fhould be made of fterner ftuff: Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious; wept : Which he did thrice refufe. Was this ambition? And, fure, he is an honourable man. I fpeak not to difprove what Brutus fpoke, You all did love him once, not without caufe; What caufe withholds you then to mourn for him? O judgement, thou art fled to brutish beafts, 1 CIT. Methinks, there is much reason in his fayings. 2 CIT. If thou confider rightly of the matter, Cæfar has had great wrong. 3 CIT. Has he, masters? I fear, there will a worfe come in his place. [crown; 4 CIT. Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the Therefore, 'tis certain, he was not ambitious. 1 CIT. If it be found fo, fome will dear abide it. 2 CIT. Poor foul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping. 3 CIT. There's not a nobler man in Rome, than Antony. 4 CIT. Now mark him, he begins again to fpeak. ANT. But yesterday the word of Cæfar might Have ftood against the world: now lies he there, And none fo poor to do him reverence. O masters! If I were difpos'd to ftir Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I will not do them wrong; I rather choose To wrong the dead, to wrong myself, and you, Than I will wrong fuch honourable men. But here's a parchment, with the feal of Cæfar, Let but the commons hear this teftament, And, dying, mention it within their wills, Bequeathing it, as a rich legacy, Unto their iffue. 4 CIT. We'll hear the will: Read it, Mark Antony. CIT. The will, the will; we will hear Cæfar's will. ANT. Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it; It is not meet you know how Cæfar lov'd you. You are not wood, you are not stones, but men ; And, being men, hearing the will of Cæfar, It will inflame you, it will make you mad: 'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs ; For if you fhould, O, what would come of it! 4 CIT. Read the will; we will hear it, Antony; You fhall read us the will; Cæfar's will. ANT. Will you be patient? Will you stay a while? I have o'er-fhot myself, to tell you of it. I fear, I wrong the honourable men, Whofe daggers have ftabb'd Cæfar: I do fear it. 4 CIT. They were traitors: Honourable men! CIT. The will! the teftament ! 2 CIT. They were villains, murderers: The will! read the will! ANT. You will compel me then to read the will ? Shall I defcend? And will you give me leave? 2 CIT. Defcend. [He comes down from the pulpit. 3 CIT. You shall have leave. 4 CIT. A ring; ftand round. I CIT. Stand from the hearfe, ftand from the body. 2 CIT. Room for Antony ;-most noble Antony. ANT. Nay, prefs not fo upon me; ftand far off. CIT. Stand back! room! bear back! ANT. If you have tears, prepare to shed them now. You all do know this mantle: I remember The first time ever Cæfar put it on; 'Twas on a fummer's evening, in his tent; Look! in this place, ran Caffius' dagger through: Even at the base of Pompey's ftatua, Which all the while ran blood, great Cæfar fell. O, what a fall was there, my countrymen ! 2 CIT. O noble Cæfar! 3 CIT. O woful day! 4 CIT. O traitors, villains! R. iiij I CIT. O most bloody fight! 2 CIT. We will be reveng'd: revenge; about,—seek,— burn,-fire,-kill,-flay!-let not a traitor live. ANT. Stay, countrymen. I CIT. Peace there: Hear the noble Antony. They, that have done this deed, are honourable; I come not, friends, to fteal away your hearts; But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man, I tell you that, which you yourselves do know; CIT. We'll mutiny. I CIT. We'll burn the house of Brutus. 3 CIT. Away, then, come, feek the conspirators. ANT. Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me speak. CIT. Peace, ho! Hear Antony, moft noble Antony. ANT. Why friends, you go to do you know not what: |